AARL

Australia's First Prime Ministerial Library: Past and Future

Lesley Carman-Brown, Kandy-Jane Henderson and Lesley Wallace

Abstract In creating Australia's first prime ministerial library, a new cultural institution was developed which blends professional practice from the fields of librarianship, education, archives, journalism and museums. The John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library honours the contribution of wartime prime minister John Curtin, works towards the advancement of knowledge and the enrichment of culture, and provides a gateway for the community to learn about its past in order to build a better future. It aims to fulfil this purpose by developing a unique research collection and a varied outreach program for the educational sector and general community.

When the Western Australian Institute of Technology became Curtin University of Technology in 1987, there was a strong feeling that the new university needed 'a heart'. What better way to achieve that than to develop a centre which would focus on wartime prime minister John Curtin and the strength of his legacy to Australia. The first donation to the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library (JCPML) archival research collection dated from that time and comprised significant historical material including books from John Curtin's personal library and bound volumes of the Westralian Worker newspapers annotated by him.

Planning for Australia's first prime ministerial library began in 1988 when Professor John Maloney, recently appointed vice-chancellor, initiated discussions with potential key supporters about a project to commemorate John Curtin. The first meeting of the John Curtin Centre Appeal Planning Committee was held in September 1989. This committee was the foundation for a successful campaign to raise $35 million to build the John Curtin Centre, incorporating the JCPML, an art gallery and an international institute, at Curtin University of Technology. Support from the Hawke and Keating federal governments and the liberal state government under premier Richard Court were crucial to the fundraising process. Corporate donations came from Australian companies and to a limited extent from American companies. There was general bipartisan support for this Labor prime minister. According to John Maloney 'the idea was attractive to the corporate sector in Australia because they recognised and identified the statesmanship of John Curtin - he was definitely Australia's man of the hour when Australia needed such strong and positive leadership. And the folks that were making the decisions about whether or not the sponsorship would be given to Curtin University, were folks who could remember that period.'[1]

During 1993 the university librarian prepared for her role as director of the JCPML by undertaking a tour of American presidential libraries to gain contextual background. The construction phase of the John Curtin Centre commenced late in 1994. A full time archivist was appointed in 1996 to develop and manage the JCPML programs and other key staff joined the JCPML in 1997 when the buildings were completed.

This journey, which had begun almost a decade previously, culminated in the opening to the public of Australia's first prime ministerial library on 20 February 1998.

Purpose and value of the JCPML

The JCPML's purpose is to honour the contribution of wartime prime minister and international statesman, John Curtin, to work towards the advancement of knowledge and the enrichment of culture, and to provide a gateway for the community to learn about its past in order to build a better future.

The JCPML accomplishes this purpose in several ways. It develops and manages a unique collection of scholarly resources focussing on the life and times of John Curtin. It provides modern facilities and services to support researchers and to enrich the life of the university campus as well as providing an enjoyable and educational experience through an active outreach program.

A recent five-year external review of the JCPML has concluded that it is a valued resource for Curtin University of Technology:

Overall the JCPML performance in terms of the initial plan has been one of success and achievement... it has achieved more than the plan envisaged owing in large part to the pioneering work undertaken with digitisation and the ERA [Electronic Research Archive]. In the process the JCPML has earned a reputation for delivering high quality products and services which have enhanced the university's reputation and provided opportunities to showcase the university's own success.

Those outside the university have particularly noted how successful the JCPML has been in promoting itself and the university and keeping the Curtin name to the fore.[2]

Defining our differences and developing our strengths

During the conception and early planning stages, the JCPML drew on the model provided by American presidential libraries. As our thinking matured it was evident that we needed to take into account our unique Australian characteristics in determining the role of the JCPML. Mindful of Australians' attitudes to their national leaders we recognised that the research and scholarship emphasis of the American presidential libraries would suit the Australian outlook, while the creation of a memorial would be less well received. Australia also lacks the strong philanthropic tradition of the United States.

The legislative environment in which the JCPML operates is quite different from that in the United States. In the United States all presidential records, private and official, are administered by the Office of Presidential Libraries at the National Archives and Records Administration and since the 1940s have been housed in appropriate presidential libraries. In Australia while official records of prime ministers are transferred to the National Archives, private records may be deposited elsewhere and the JCPML holds the personal papers of prime minister Curtin.

The JCPML has successfully blended professional practice from the fields of librarianship, education, archives, journalism and museums into an integrated model. This creates effective synergies for JCPML projects. Due to the competence and skills of JCPML staff, little needs to be spent to purchase outsourced expertise. To maximise effective use of the budget, most initiatives are developed for more than one purpose.

A key to the JCPML's success has been the partnerships it has established. Strategic partnerships provide direct dollars, specialist in-kind support and assistance in building prestige and credibility. In return JCPML provides diverse benefits, including access to specialist expertise and knowledge.

A significant and enduring partnership has been with the National Archives of Australia (NAA), commencing with the John Curtin: A Man of Peace, A Time of War exhibition which opened in new parliament house, toured Australia and was the centre piece for the 1998 opening of the JCPML. The JCPML was a project partner in 2002 in the development of the NAA's Australia's Prime Ministers website and has been involved with the NAA in negotiations with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to transfer over 70 metres of records to the JCPML. Most recently, the JCPML has authored John Curtin: Guide to Archives of Australia's Prime Ministers, published by the NAA in November 2004. Other partners include Australia Post, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, international software applications developer ExLibris, and the Perth Theatre Company.

Collaborative partnerships allow us to build the research collection and create innovative products and services for specific projects. The cooperation of the NAA, National Library of Australia (NLA), MacArthur Memorial Archives, Roosevelt Presidential Library, Churchill Archives, and other institutions at state, national, and international levels has been crucial in developing the content of the research collection.

The JCPML has ongoing close relationships with all of the prime ministerial libraries which allows for support and cooperation on a variety of initiatives. For example, the JCPML and Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Library (BHPML) jointly supported James Curran's recent book The Power of Speech: Australian Prime Ministers Defining the National Image.

An innovative partnership with the Perth Theatre Company (PTC) led to the development of the play Shadow Of The Eagle. Its world premiere in 2003 and a national tour lasting three months and taking in five states and territories the following year was supported by the Australia Council. The play won numerous awards and enabled both the PTC and the JCPML to engage with people outside their traditional audiences.

Strong supportive partnerships have been formed with individuals. Foundation patron, Gough Whitlam, has actively supported the JCPML since 1997 when he first visited what was still a building site. He is a continual inspiration to JCPML staff. JCPML historical consultant, David Black, writes, speaks, and advises on historical matters related to the initiatives we undertake. The support of the Curtin family has been invaluable, particularly in donating original family records to the research collection. The family maintains an ongoing interest in JCPML events and initiatives.

The JCPML is sustained by its research and outreach programs. The research collection is the integral core resource for the JCPML and is at the heart of its programs. The research collection is the engine which drives and supports the JCPML's ongoing public programs.

Research program

From the outset the JCPML defined its collection focus to include themes that would provide it with a robust ongoing life and ensure its relevance to future generations of Australians. A prime focus is necessarily on John Curtin's life and times. The significant research collection resulting from that priority is what makes the JCPML unique. Other themes were developed around the Australian-American relationship and the prime ministership as an office, including a focus on the lives and contribution of those directly associated with it such as the spouses and families of prime ministers. These wider themes give currency and scope for growth of the collection into the future.

Building the collection more than 50 years after prime minister Curtin's death posed particular challenges with materials dispersed amongst private individuals, organisations and state, national and overseas archival institutions. The solution, therefore, was to provide electronic access to these records, as well as to records held in the JCPML, in a seamless manner. The JCPML exploits new and emerging technologies to provide this access via ERA.

ERA was developed as a digital archive with the aim being to provide electronic access to most of the collection, not just selected 'jewels'. When ERA went live on the JCPML website[3] in 1999, this was a first in Australia and an innovation on the international scene. Initially using Excalibur Technologies' software, ERA now uses ExLibris' asset management system DigiTool. Records are accessible online as images (photographs, documents), text (contents of documents), audio or video (oral histories, sound recordings, motion pictures) or as finding aids.

With the concept of this digital archive in mind, collection development pursued two main avenues: collecting material, particularly material held in private hands, which might otherwise be lost; and copying or digitally capturing records that were already safely held in archival institutions.

The collection of material not yet in archival custody was a priority. Media appeals and general and targeted promotional activities played a part in bringing to light records in private hands. Photographs, anecdotal memories, objects, correspondence and other personal papers, and audio and video recordings donated by individuals all contributed to the collection. Donations of Curtin family material formed a significant part of the collection, including personal papers and possessions, photographs, memorabilia and books from the family library. Other substantial donations of material include the research papers of respected journalist and economist, Tom Fitzgerald, amassed for his intended biography of Curtin, and the papers of Alex McCallum, WA state labor parliamentarian and key associate of Curtin. An oral history program to capture the recollections of people who knew Curtin commenced in 1994, as such histories depend on the memories of the living and with the passage of time there are fewer people alive who can contribute. Some 50 interviews are currently in the collection, including interviews with John Curtin's son and daughter. Efforts to elicit material not in archival safekeeping are ongoing.

Relevant records held in other archival institutions were systematically identified and approval was sought to copy and digitise them for access via ERA. Initially, records were acquired in a number of ways:

• Photocopies were purchased from the originating institution and scanned at the JCPML.
• Records were sent to the JCPML by the originating institution, scanned there and returned.
• Records were sent to the Perth office of the originating institution and JCPML staff took scanning equipment and copied the records at the Perth office.
• Copies of records were purchased already in digital format.

More recently, where institutions provide digital access to their collections online, the JCPML now provides a link in ERA to the Curtin material on the website or online database of the originating institution. For example, links exist in ERA to records in the NAA's RecordSearch, State Library of Victoria's Picture Catalogue and Roosevelt Presidential Library's web pages. In particular, the NAA has digitised significant numbers of Curtin records requested by the JCPML for access via RecordSearch. From all viewpoints, this is an ideal situation - holding institutions retain clear control of their records, making their own decisions on display, access, reproduction and copyright issues, and the JCPML's part in the process is much reduced.

The JCPML also builds the collection by identifying journal articles, oral histories, theses, conference papers, etc of relevance to the collection themes and acquiring copies where appropriate.

Significantly, the JCPML adds value to the collection through the creation of word-processed files of important records, especially those not suited to scanning as images. These searchable text documents, such as editorials written by Curtin while he was editor of the labor newspaper the Westralian Worker, are made available through ERA.

The collection focus of John Curtin's life and times provides a springboard for a range of themes such as post-war reconstruction, foreign policy, social and political history.

The JCPML is currently processing about 80 metres of records created by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), transferred to the JCPML by the NAA and DFAT. These records comprise the working papers accumulated in the course of preparing the 16-volume publication Documents on Australian Foreign Policy, 1937-1949. The research potential of these records is significant as only about 10 per cent of the working papers were used in the published volumes and the contents and subjects covered are broad - from war cabinet agenda and minutes to major world events such as Hitler's peace offensive, the fall of France, appeals to Roosevelt, war crimes, refugees, Imperial Defence, League of Nations, post war planning, and Pacific rim events concerning Japan, New Guinea, Timor and US Pacific interests.

In line with the collection focus of the prime ministership as an office, Hazel Hawke's papers are lodged with the JCPML. Identifying herself as a West Australian, Hazel Hawke wanted her records to come to a university in her home state. An approach was made to Curtin and the records were subsequently donated to the JCPML. A result of this has been the development of a strong relationship between the JCPML and the BHPML to facilitate access and sharing of information.

Collection growth has also occurred as researchers pursue their research interests. For example, JCPML visiting scholar John Edwards' research led to the collection of records relating to economics in the Depression years and the post-war reconstruction planning of the labor government. Examples of collection use include:

• Artists seeking images of John Curtin from all angles (including the back of his head and detail of his shoes and socks!) for a larger-than-life sculpture to stand outside the Fremantle Town Hall.
• National Trust staff researching the history of the Curtin house in Cottesloe.
• Curtin undergraduate history and politics students researching aspects of Curtin's life and times for major assignments.
• A history professor from Kansas University interested in religion and politicians - 'Curtin as a moral and spiritual leader'.
• A medical doctor looking into how Curtin's lifestyle affected his health for a conference paper and journal article.
• A historian researching Curtin's train travel in World War II, especially in the special 'Prince of Wales' carriage.
• The Dockers Football Club seeking information about Curtin for a special Anzac Day re-enactment.

Other researchers have tapped into broader themes covered by the collection. Examples include:

• A researcher interested in Joe Swebleses, a contemporary of Curtin who was active in the Victorian Socialist Party.
• A copywriter searching for photos to produce an audio-visual presentation on the history of the WA Labor Party.
• An ANU academic researching key economists in the 1930s Depression years, including Copland, Giblin and Brigden.
• An RMIT lecturer researching the life of former Melbourne Herald journalist Joseph Alexander.
• A historian and writer researching the 1919 Fremantle Wharf strike.
• School students with questions relating to projects, assignments and National History Challenge entries.
• A science historian researching Churchill's request that six live platypuses be sent to England in early 1943.
• A professor from Texas University researching the switch from British to American hegemony using Australia around the years of World War II as a case study.

Records accessible via ERA are increasingly available to a wider group of searchers as the records are able to be included in state, national and international online databases. For example, JCPML photographs are accessible via the NLA's PictureAustralia and the JCPML is a partner in the development of the WA Cultural Heritage Portal.

Outreach program

The outreach program aims to provide services and activities which raise awareness of John Curtin and the concept of the JCPML within the university campus, the educational sector and the wider community. As John Curtin wrote in 1933: 'It is a pity that history is so poorly esteemed.'[4] The JCPML endeavours to redress this by providing opportunities for everyone to engage with the past and experience social history in an enjoyable, stimulating and interactive environment. The program is built around the appointment of visiting scholars, developing and hosting exhibitions, commemorative events, a content-rich website and a comprehensive schools education program.

Visiting scholars

Commencing in 1997, the JCPML has appointed eminent Australian historians and researchers as visiting scholars each year. Even before the JCPML was officially opened, staff welcomed visitors to a public lecture, Glimpses of John Curtin,[5] by our first visiting scholar, Geoffrey Serle. This later became the basis for the publication, For Australia and Labor: Prime Minister John Curtin,[6] and is an example of how the JCPML makes multiple use of its products.

The visiting scholars program has now developed to the stage where the JCPML can offer this opportunity to up-and-coming researchers, such as James Curran. The JCPML supported the publication of his book, The Power of Speech: Australian Prime Ministers Defining the National Image,[7] in 2004.

Exhibitions

The first exhibition, John Curtin: A Man of Peace, a Time of War,[8] was a partnership between the NAA and the JCPML. At that time the JCPML was an embryonic organisation with little collection or staff resources, so essentially the finished product was imported from the NAA. The JCPML provided project management and curatorial support for the next exhibition, Shaping the Nation: John Curtin and Australia,[9] which was curated by the Research Institute for Cultural Heritage at Curtin. Building on the expertise gained through these partnerships, the JCPML now curates its own exhibitions which feature material from its collection.

The JCPML collaborates with other organisations and curators to develop special exhibitions, such as Without Classification: Hazel Hawke,[10] a joint venture with the John Curtin Gallery and curator Margaret Moore. This exhibition was a marriage of archives and art, bringing together important material from the records of Hazel Hawke held in the JCPML with examples of poster art in Australia. In 2005 the JCPML in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will tour a small artistic exhibition to Washington, London and Canberra.

Exhibitions represent a significant investment of staff time and resources so major exhibitions are on display for a minimum of two years. In keeping with our policy to maximise value, all JCPML exhibitions are then made available online.

Taking advantage of opportunities that arise, the JCPML hosts relevant exhibitions which are on tour from other institutions, such as Beginnings: Images of Occupied Japan from the MacArthur Memorial Library, Soldier for a Crisis: Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey from the Australian War Memorial and A Brush with Politics: the Life and Work of John Frith from Old Parliament House.

Website

The website allows the JCPML to reach Australian and international audiences, obviating the need for researchers to visit in person to access the collection. It also provides plenty of online resources with popular appeal, including John Curtin: A Good Sport,[11] On Track: John Curtin's Railway Journeys[12] and winner of the 2002 Mander Jones Award, Understanding Society through its Records.[13] Many of these resources feature online educational activities. The website gives ongoing life to events and exhibitions and is increasingly useful as a means of providing access to JCPML publications, such as the educational resource, Cartoon PD in a Package,[14] supported by a grant from the Public Education Endowment Trust. This self-contained professional development resource assists teachers and students to develop confidence and proficiency when using cartoons.

The JCPML promotes its website and online exhibitions through sites such as the Australian Museums Online (AMOL) portal and the NLA's Australian Libraries Gateway.

Educational activities

Education programs are developed from scratch and are closely linked with the research collection, exhibitions and website resources. The first program was a role play based on key documents from the collection. Senior students took on the roles of Curtin, Churchill and MacArthur and their supporters in An Extraordinary Allied Nations' Summit Meeting taking place in April 1942. Since then a variety of educational options have been offered to students from years five to twelve, ranging from document investigations such as Planning for Peace: Postwar Reconstruction to drama productions such as A Week on the Wireless. Onsite programs incorporate activities within the exhibition. When the education officer takes the program to schools in regional Western Australia, the exhibition experience is replicated using the online resources. Another option for WA country primary schools is a self-contained, fun-filled Treasure Box offering comprehensive resources and detailed lesson plans for the activities within.

Surveys are regularly conducted to evaluate the appeal and effectiveness of the programs. Feedback reveals that teachers and students enjoy the activities and find them relevant to their school work. In 2003 a more comprehensive evaluation was undertaken to discover what visiting students learnt and how much information they retained. Analysis of the data revealed program participation had a positive impact on student learning.[15]

The JCPML offers professional development related to its programs for teachers and supports Australian history by hosting the judging and presentation of state and national prizes in the National History Challenge. Working in collaboration with the Curtin Division of Humanities and the History Teachers Association of WA the JCPML is a key participant in the Sir Charles Court Young Leaders Program, an annual residential activity for year 10 history students. Staff also deliver tutorials as part of the coursework for Curtin students in the areas of archives, education, libraries and heritage.

Anniversary events

One of the JCPML's higher profile events is the commemoration each year of the anniversary of Curtin's death on 5 July. On many occasions this has been marked with a lecture, featuring prominent Australians such as former prime ministers Gough Whitlam and Paul Keating.

The 2003 anniversary event was the world premiere of the play Shadow Of The Eagle. The JCPML, the play and the cast have all won awards including a State Arts Sponsorship Scheme award for 2002, the WA Equity Guild/International Foundation for the Arts and Culture Best Actor and Best New Play awards in 2003 and the Museums Australia (WA) Organisational Award and National Touring Award for Excellent Audience Response for 2004. The play has been an outstandingly successful means for the JCPML to promote and educate the Australian public about John Curtin.

In association with the 2004 anniversary event, the JCPML unveiled a set of three bronzes of John Curtin. The poses depict him as an impassioned orator, show him reflecting on his speech notes, and reveal him in a casual pose. We commissioned sculptor Peter Latona to create the 30cm high sculptures. They have been displayed at a number of events, including the WA 175th anniversary celebration WA on Show, and feature in the JCPML's exhibition, The Art of the Possible: Creating an independent Australian foreign policy.

2005 is the 60th anniversary of John Curtin's death. AustraliaPost has sponsored special souvenir stamp sheets for the JCPML featuring Prime Minister Curtin and has also provided sponsorship for the new exhibition opened in February.

Conclusion

At the outset the JCPML was conscious that a new kind of cultural institution was being formed and a credible and sustainable niche had to be established where the work of others was not replicated. Achieving the vision of Australia's first prime ministerial library would not have been possible without the long term commitment of the vice-chancellors of Curtin University of Technology, the building of sustainable partnerships that bring mutual benefits and the successful blending of a range of professional practice by highly skilled staff. The development of the research collection and the outreach program has enabled the JCPML to fulfil its stated purpose - to honour the contribution of John Curtin, to work towards the advancement of knowledge and the enrichment of culture, and to provide a gateway to the past.

During 2003 the university librarian initiated an external review of the JCPML. George Nichols, former director general of the NAA, undertook the brief to consider what the JCPML originally set out to do, what has been achieved to date, and what strategies might be appropriate for the future. The review also considered the role of the JCPML in relation to its professional, educational and general communities at the institutional, state and national levels and made recommendations. Nichols noted that:

the university has made a major investment in establishing the JCPML - in terms of resources and its own reputation. It has been repaid by the establishment of a first class institution which is admired and respected for its work, as much in the state and nationally as in the university. The JCPML has also earned the professional respect of the major cultural and collecting institutions with whom it collaborates. Another indication of its success is that others have sought to emulate it. In short the JCPML is a small treasure of which the university can be proud.[16]

Notes

1. JCPML. Records of the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library. Interview of John Maloney 25 February 1997 JCPML00189/1
2. G Nichols Report on the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library 2003
3. The JCPML website is available at http://john.curtin.edu.au
4. D Black In His Own Words: John Curtin's Speeches and Writings Perth WA Paradigm Books 1995 p119
5. G Serle Glimpses of John Curtin is available at http://john.curtin.edu.au/events/speeches/serlelecture.html
6. G Serle For Australia and Labor: Prime Minister John Curtin Perth John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library with the assistance of the Library and Information Service Curtin University of Technology 1998
7. J Curran The Power of Speech: Australian Prime Ministers Defining the National Image Melbourne Melbourne University Press 2004
8. John Curtin: A Man of Peace, a Time of War is available at http://john.curtin.edu.au/manofpeace/
9. Shaping the Nation: John Curtin and Australia is available at http://john.curtin.edu.au/shapingthenation/
10. Without Classification: Hazel Hawke is available at http://john.curtin.edu.au/hazelhawke/
11. D Hindley John Curtin: A Good Sport John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library 2002 is available at http://john.curtin.edu.au/sport/
12. P Rogers On Track: John Curtin's Railway Journeys John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library 2002 is available at http://john.curtin.edu.au/railway/
13. A Pederson Understanding Society through its Records John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library 2001 is available at http://john.curtin.edu.au/society/
14. L McGinnis M Wright J Bishop and R Marshall Cartoon PD in a Package John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library 2004 is available at http://john.curtin.edu.au/education/cartoonpd/index.html
15. John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library Evaluation of the On Site Education Program for Secondary and Primary School Participation July 2004 JCPML internal document
16. G Nichols Report on the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library 2003

Lesley Carman-Brown, Public programs co-ordinator, John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library, GPO Box U1987 Perth 6845.
Kandy-Jane Henderson, Archivist, John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library, GPO Box U1987 Perth 6845.
Lesley Wallace, Collections librarian, John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library, GPO Box U1987 Perth 6845.
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